Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa opened Monday afternoon the 25th GCC Summit. The event is called "Zayed Summit" in commemoration of late UAE president, Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyyan, who died last month.

At the outset of the meeting, King Hamad delivered a speech, welcoming the GCC leaders or their representatives. He affirmed that the message of the GCC states to the world, is a message of "openness, peace and constructive partnership." Hamad said that the as the world speaks of development and reformation, "we are proud of the strong basis laid by our states in education, culture, modernization and comprehensive development, which are considered as the most important human rights."

The Bahraini leader noted that these states are continuing their "gradual development approach, which emanates from their will to have further reforms that the people of the region are looking forward to, in order to strengthen relations in our joint entity."